lemonade sundrops
by Madame Rhea Di'Ey
Summary: Life can't possibly get more cliché than this. – Hinata/Lee, AU.


**t****itle: **lemonade sundrops  
><strong>notes:<strong> weird ship bro, _I know_. But they'd be so cute together and have the most adorable kids. _Urgh, feelings._  
><strong>dedication: <strong>To Jo, because she officiated us as Crack Bros in Unholy Shipping. We could be an action duo, only with less guns and more crying over fictional characters.

* * *

><p>The first time they meet, he has an odd feeling he's seen her before; their interaction is too short to figure out where exactly has he seen her, though, because she is a cute customer and he a part-timer who can't afford to lose his job on empty basis of flirting during working hours. The exchange goes sort of like this:<p>

"Hello, and welcome to our parlor! May I take your order?" he says, and the loveliest pair of eyes turn to blink at him from underneath a dark fringe.

"A-ah, yes. I'd like a berry sundae, please," she says, twirling a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. "Oh, and a bottle of Nestea. Whatever flavor, save for lemon."

Her voice is as beautiful as the rest of her, and Lee colors high in the cheeks with a dust of pink. "Rightaway, miss!"

It doesn't strike him until after she's out the door and the bell above it tolls that she's the resident champion of his father's dojo.

.

.

.

The second time they meet, he actually has the chance to properly introduce himself. Sure, Neji is glaring sharp daggers that feel more like longswords, really, into the back of his head, and Tenten can barely contain her snorts, and _sure_, he stammers like a teenager caught watching a porno, but her smile is warm enough to put the sun to shame and it makes him tingly all over to witness the way her lips curve.

"I am Hyūga Hinata. Pleased to make your acquaintance," she says, and holds her hand out for a shake.

He's actually conflicted for a moment; should he take it, or should he not? It would be improper not to, an offense he would surely earn some bruises for from her cousin, and worst of all it would make her feel bad – but he is filthy, sweaty all over after a good brawl with Gai, and it seems wrong somehow to dirty that dainty hand she is proffering.

He shakes it anyway, and pretends the blush he's sporting is from the adrenaline in his veins. "Maito Lee," he says, and tries to give her a smile. It comes out lopsided and a little shaky around the corners, but she reciprocates it wholeheartedly. "Though you probably knew that already, Hinata-san."

"Please, just Hinata," she says, almost automatically. Then, laughingly: "And yes, I did. Your father talks about you quite a lot."

"Call me just Lee, then," he says, smiling shyly. "And he does?"

"Mhm. Gai-san is very proud of his, ah, how did he put it? Oh! Yes. He is very proud of the "youthfulness" of his son. Well, he is proud of you as a whole – he could probably go on for _days_ about your accomplishments, academical or martial," she says, and smiles a little unsure. "E-excuse me for the too-familiar approach. I just sort of feel as if I know you quite personally thanks to all his stories..."

If his face wasn't red before, it definitely is now. Lee feels the tips of his ears burning, and Tenten is definitely no longer controlling her laughter; and for all the twitch in his eye, Neji seems amused as well.

Hinata becomes his saving grace, swiftly changing the topic.

"I believe you work at an ice-cream parlor? I swear I saw a waiter that looked just like you at this cute little joint on Renshima Street..."

"He's actually headed there," Tenten quips, a devilish grin threatening to spill across her face. "Or at the very least, he should be. His shift begins at eight. And, if the dojo's clock still works, he's going to be late."

The blood in his face drains suddenly at that, leaving his tan sickly pale. He can't afford to lose any of his part-time jigs; the dojo is too small to support all of their expenses, especially since Gai is liberal in doing his students favors and cares more about training them to mastery of the art than about the financial rewards. Which is fine and all, only bills don't pay themselves and food doesn't put itself on the table, and now they might be on a minus budget because he had to have a crush on a girl and be late for work –

Neji's hand falls on his shoulder, heavy, reassuring. "You won't be late. Hinata can drop you off on her way home – right?"

"Of course!" the girl in question says, smile growing wider.

And that's the story of how, after the fastest shower recorded in history, he's riding shotgun in the car of a woman that might as well be a stranger.

The silence that should be awkward is comfortable instead, and doesn't seem to bother either of them; more than that, Hinata hums along to a song playing on the radio, tapping the steering wheel when they have to stop at the traffic lights in an intersection. For someone who appears to be demure, the girl sure drives like a maniac, stepping the gas perhaps a little harder than she should.

Because of that, though, he gets to work on time. "Thank you so much, Hinata," he says, breathing a deep sigh of relief. He's quite sure she doesn't understand how much it means to him – pay might be shitty, but without it he can't make ends meet.

"No problem at all," she says, perpetual smile springing on her lips.

He watches her drive off with a knot in his throat and a fire burning in his chest.

.

.

.

The third time they meet, he realizes he's irremediably fallen in love with her with a quiet, desperate sort of acceptance, sometime in-between dinner with her and Neji and being dropped off by her at the footsteps of the dojo.

Lee has been "in love" before; has felt this lava searing his veins, has felt sick to the marrow with the nausea of a heart drunken off of silent passion – but it was never like this. Never this...bad. Not even with Sakura. For god's sake, he barely knows what to do with himself when she is around, and loses all coherence when she gives him a smile.

What's worse is, he's come to crave her presence. Having it bad doesn't even begin to cover the surface of the mess he's gotten himself into inadvertently.

"Why don't you tell her?" Tenten asks him the day after, finely arched eyebrows lifted just enough to make a slight crease in her forehead.

He's quiet for a long time, before at last a sigh leaves his lips and weary shoulders shrug and sag under the weight of his soul. "I don't know, really," he says, a whisper that reverberates too loudly against the walls. "I guess I just don't want to mess up, or be rejected...or worse. I barely know her, you know. I don't think women appreciate strangers confessing undying love – or do they?"

At that, Tenten chuckles. "No, they usually get a restriction order for that," she says, and playfully bumps her shoulder against his. "Though Hinata hardly strikes me as that type."

"Still, it would get awkward. I don't want to complicate things. I'm fine with her friendship, and I seem to have at least that."

"You can never be just friends with someone you love, Lee, you know that."

He sighs. "That's true. But I can pretend I am."

* * *

><p><strong>notes2: <strong>this started out sweet & cute and turned sad somewhere along the way dear god why


End file.
